The new year is drawing near! I love making new year resolutions. I don’t always achieve the goals that I set, I but something in me says “Make a goal, try to reach it!”
This year instead of resolutions, I am going to use Hebrews 12:1 as my goal for the year. It says Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
I want to lay aside some “pet sins” this year. Oh, I want to take off 10 lbs., read more books, finally get my photos in albums and other “resolution” type things as well, but mostly, I want to start 2008 with fewer sins in my life than ever before.
Here are some of the things I want to get rid of: (please pray for me)
1. I want to keep all bitterness out of my life forever, but forever starts with 2008. Bitterness creeps in when you’re not looking. You can be bitter at an enemy, or at a friend who forgot to invite your kid to her kid’s party. I know, I’ve been bitter at some people that are very close to me. Bitterness is like drinking poison, and then waiting on the other person to die. They don’t get harmed by it, you do. I don’t want to be bitter at anyone in my family, my church or at any of my friends. (I don’t know of any enemies, but I don’t want to be bitter at them either!)
2. I want to lay aside the sin of worry this year. It’s a battle. I’m a mother, therefore, I worry. I can only achieve this goal by maintaining a close walk with the Lord, and by trusting Him when heartaches – or the fear of heartaches- loom ahead.
3. I want to lay aside myself this year. I want to be self-less, not selfish. That’s hard, because I have a certain way I like to do things. I will have to put my wishes aside and give over to others, maybe even to some I used to be bitter at! That’s really hard! But again, through Christ I can do it!
4. I want to lay aside pride for 2008- and forever! Pride is terrible. It also creeps in unaware. It looks harmless, but it is one of the seven sins that God hates. (See Prov. 6:16-19) Pride keeps me from getting right with the Lord, or from going to that person that I am bitter at and making things right with them.
These are sins that I have worked to get rid of for quite a while now. I feel just like Paul did in Romans 7:18-20 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
I battle the flesh constantly. I know what is good to do, but when I’m in a situation where I need to be self-less, I see that I’m selfish. When I need to have a lowly spirit, I catch myself having a superior attitude. When I am broke, or a child is ill, I start to worry without even noticing. That is, until the Holy Spirit says “Uh, Valerie, I think you are supposed to be trusting Me.” Ouch! I tell the Lord how sorry I am, and that I knew better. And then I get up and try again. He’s so longsuffering with me. In fact, I need to be more longsuffering with others myself. That’s another one I should add!
I hope I can start, not on January 1st, but on December 8th, to lay aside the weight of my pet sins, and start 2008 lighter than I’ve ever been before! :o)